New releases, music videos and album news â indie, rap, rock and pop. Always covering Ren, Chris Webby, Sam Tompkins, bbno$, CHINCHILLA, Muse, Yungblud and more.
Destroyer, Stephin Merritt to Headline Bazooka! Fest
The independent Bazooka! Fest returns to Brooklyn on 22â23 August, with Destroyer's Dan Bejar confirmed as headliner alongside previously announced acts including Stephin Merritt of the Magnetic Fields, Joanna Sternberg, Times New Viking and Sad13. The festival, launched in 2025 by former Matador A&R director Jake Whitener, aims to pair influential underground artists with the newer acts they inspired, echoing curated events like All Tomorrow's Parties or Athens Pop Fest.
The 2026 edition will take place across the Meadows and the Wood Shop venues, with a lineup spanning dozens of acts including Kiwi Jr., Cloud Nothings, Colleen Green and Great Lakes, among many others. Whitener said he wanted to recreate the intimate, cross-generational feel of smaller-venue festivals that bring together iconic performers and the emerging bands they have shaped, describing it as a celebration of underground rock and pop's ongoing evolution.
In short
- Destroyer and Stephin Merritt to headline Bazooka! Fest in Brooklyn
- Festival runs 22â23 August at two venues
- Event curated to link influential artists with newer acts they inspired
Explained simply
Bazooka! Fest is an independent music festival held annually in Brooklyn. Founded in 2025, it brings together well-established underground artists alongside newer musicians they have influenced, creating a gathering that spans multiple generations of rock and pop.
The festival features dozens of acts across genres including indie-pop, post-punk and experimental rock. The 2026 edition will take place on 22 and 23 August at two Brooklyn venues, the Meadows and the Wood Shop.
This programming approachâconnecting established artists with those they have inspiredâreflects a broader trend in contemporary festival curation. Similar events like All Tomorrow's Parties and Athens Pop Fest highlight how underground music evolves through influence and mentorship between generations.